The book of Philippians
- Sadie Myers
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Have you ever made it a goal to read through your entire Bible from start to finish, and then you were so intrigued with one book of the Bible, you just decided to stay there! That was me! After reading Romans, 1-3 John, Jude, and Ephesians, I decided to read Philippians. Once I started reading it I had one of those “whoa, that’s SO good” moments!
That's why I want to encourage you to get into the book of Philippians.
In this blog post, we will cover:
Introduction to the book of Philippians
Key verses in Philippians
How to read/study Philippians
Bible journaling
Let's jump right in!!!
Introduction to the book of Philippians
For this intro, I want to introduce you to my method for starting a book of the Bible. This is really how I get my background info. I used this method when I studied Romans, and it helped me so much! I also found it really helpful when I studied 1-2 Timothy.
For this method, I start by asking the five questions:
WHO was the author?
WHO was the recipient?
WHEN was it written?
WHAT was the purpose?
WHERE is it on the timeline?
These questions have been so helpful as I have studied Philippians. Sometimes it can be hard to find this info, so I consult ESV.org or I like Bibleprodject.com to help find this basic info. Then, I like to put the info from the questions and add them to a paper, which I then add to my Bible.
Here is the one I made for Philippians. Feel free to print and add to your Bible!
Key verses in the book of Philippians
I actually wish I could just give you the whole book of Philippians right now because I think it is all so good and every word is needed. Though it was hard, here are my favorite verses from the book, and what I learned/took away from each of them:
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.
This verse is SO special to me as an athlete, but it doesn't just apply to sports! Sometimes we are tempted, and we just want to break free from a sin we are struggling with. This verse was a reminder that I need God to give me that strength. Nothing is too big for God!
Philippians 1:21
For me to live is Christ, and to die is a gain.
Our lives are so short compared to eternity, and our lives need to be living sacrifices (Romans 12). Our lives need to be lived for Christ. Because we are sinners, we deserve hell, but Jesus saves us and we get to spend eternity with Him. In fact, because of that, this means that our only hope is in death. Our only hope is that we belong to Him, and when we see Jesus face to face, we will know we get to spend eternity worshipping Him! Death is a gain for believers!
Philippians 2:10-11
At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, in Heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue will confess JESUS CHRIST IS LORD to the Glory of God the father.
When all people stand before God to give an account, they will confess that Jesus is Lord. One interesting connection is when the Bible says "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". I think this is talking about People wanting God before they are judged?
Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
This verse was a kick in the pants for me. I always have SO much trouble not thinking about me first. This reminded me that in a world saying "put yourself first", and "self love", The Bible says "loose your life", and "value others above yourself". SO DEEPLY convicting!
Philippians 3:7
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.
I'll say it again! Our lives are SO short! Honestly, I've been learning to put on the lenses of eternity! When we look at life in view of eternity, it changes our perspective. We go from "I need to gain my life and make a name for myself" to "Making a name doesn't matter because of Jesus". This reminded me of the verse in Mark 8:34 that says "what does is profit a man to gain the world, but loose their souls". We should want to loose our lives so we can gain Christ!
Here is a sheet to print with the key verses!
How to read and Study Philippians
Now, I want to talk about how to study the book of Philippians. Here is how I want through the book of Philippians and studied it. I learned SO MUCH!
Watch this video. It's a great introduction!
Read the entire book of Philippians in one sitting
Read chapter one once through
Read it again highlighting, and underlining
Ask "where do I see God in chapter one"?
Ask "what can I learn from chapter one"?
Ask "What can I change about me from chapter one"?
Choose a verse or two to write in your own words
Consult a commentary if you want!
Repeat with all the chapters!
Here is a PDF to help you remember these steps!
Bible Journal in Philippians
This is one of the really artsy parts! I'm going to give you a few ideas of how you can do Bible journaling in Philippians! You don't have to copy the notes, but get some ideas!
Well, that's it for this post! Comment if you want more posts like this, and which book of the Bible you want me to do next. I love your ideas!!!
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